THIRD GRADERS READY FOR SUMMER AND FOR BUSINESS

Third graders in Mrs. Riker’s class have had a busy but rewarding last week of school with food-based STEM activities. And no other group of students is as prepared for summer as the Riker class.

First they put their design and engineering skills to the test by building self-standing spaghetti towers with 20 noodles, one yard of tape, one yard of string—and one marshmallow for the top. They had 18 minutes to complete their architectural feat.

The next activity was far more gratifying. In preparation for the long, hot summer, Mrs. Riker’s students learned to make their own ice cream using half-and-half, sugar, vanilla extract, ice, salt, and freezer zip-bags.

They all promised to experiment with different flavors and fruits throughout the summer. (Parents, be ready!) There was even talk of ice-cream business start-ups.